Stories

Broadway Plays Borrow Shine From Their Hollywood Stars

“Broadway, still adapting to sharply higher production costs and audiences that have not fully rebounded since the coronavirus pandemic, is betting big on star power, hoping that a helping of Hollywood glamour will hasten its rejuvenation.” - The New York Times

No Taylor Swift? No Problem

Swifties gather in Vienna streets to sing her hits together - and to find community, despite the security-driven cancellations. - NPR

When Your Novel Accidentally Meets The Zeitgeist

The author has been checking out Goodreads to “see how the average enthusiastic reader has been responding to this book. It is in equal parts some of the greatest validation I’ve ever received and the most terrifying cultural report I’ve ever read.” - The Guardian (UK)

Re-Creating The Music Of Medieval Europe With One Instrument

The EP-1320 comes “pre-loaded with a selection of playable musical instruments from the Middle Ages, from frame drums, battle toms, and coconut horse hooves to bagpipes, bowed harps, and, yes, hurdy-gurdies.” - Open Culture

The Weird, Long Tail Of Seinfeld Echoes Through New York Summers

“It’s like a ‘Seinfeld’ convention with a baseball game in the background,” says the man who organized Seinfeld Night for the first time, a decade ago. - The New York Times

The Cinema Posters That Tell Us Who We Were

Before streaming, but especially before the internet, posters drew us in, some with era-defining visuals. - The Guardian (UK)

What Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone For What Might Be Called A Brick

“We may yearn for the freedom from all the extraneous stuff embedded in our smartphones — the distractions from the world around us — but liberty comes at the cost of becoming cut off from all the essentials, too.” - Washington Post

After Last Year’s Absolute Disaster, This Year’s Hugo Awards Came With A Full Transparency Report

The list of winners seems innocuous, but it comes with a link to a report that details everything possible, along with a link to the full statistics. Why? Last year’s edition was rife with censorship, and this year had its own ballot-stuffing issues. - Glasgow Worldcon

Ireland’s Black Gay Population Finds A Voice

Zainab Boldale is a journalist and TV presenter, who “has already hit several impressive career milestones in her 27 years, her first young adult novel will be published this month.” - Irish Times

The Cellist Of Auschwitz

She played in the orchestra, somehow survived, and later helped found the English Chamber Orchestra. And at nearly 100 years old, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch has forgotten nothing. - The New Yorker

The Emmys Finally Nominate The Right Writers

“The writers’ branch of the TV Academy isn’t the general public, and it’s reasonable to wish they’d be more discerning in their choices. This year, the comedy writers actually did just that.” - Vulture

Horror Movies Need More Than Just Vibes

“This summer’s three biggest relatively high-brow, low-budget horror films — Maxxxine, Longlegs, and Cuckoo — represent a move toward big moods. … A horror movie doesn’t have to be smart to be enjoyable, but is it unfair to ask them to at least not be so dim?" - The Verge

Churchill Loved Monet’s Work, Which Kept His Spirits Up During A Post-War Political Slump

Churchill was not one to enjoy being out of power, and perhaps abandoned the Conservative Party leadership behind the scenes. But his “love of painting, both as a hobby and a fan, remained a sustaining pleasure.” - The Observer (UK)

Iowa Law Banning Books With Sexual Content Goes Back Into Effect

The law, which will be appealed again, “bans any titles that describe sexual acts from K-12 schools, with the exception of religious texts. The law also limits instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity before seventh grade.” - The New York Times

Banksy Confirms A Seventh Piece After His Sixth Is Removed, Supposedly For Safety Reasons

London police and security firms have no idea what to do with Banksy artworks (read about what happened to the sixth piece) - which may be why the seventh piece is piranhas on a police call box. - The Guardian (UK)

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